Cargill expands use of electronic bills of lading

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The U.S. agribusiness Cargill said Thursday it has expanded its operational use of CargoDocs, an electronic bill of lading (eB/Ls) solution, to include agricultural shipments from South America.
Cargill first used the solution on a shipment of grain from Houston to Veracruz, Mexico in March.
Electronic Shipping Solutions (ESS), a provider of shipping and trade document and data solutions, is partnering with Cargill to include new trade routes from Argentina and Brazil to Europe.
“We are delighted with the progress being made and the roll out so far,” said Ernst Herger, Cargill’s global project manager for eB/Ls. “It is important that all participants in the industry realize that the time is right for the implementation of this new technology as it is a win-win for all concerned. Reduced administration and increased efficiencies save time and costs at every step of the supply chain for every participant - from ship owners, to charterers and trading companies. Electronic bills of lading make it easier to manage any changes or splits along the way and also protect the bill of lading from the risk of being lost or misused. We are confident that this is the right solution for the future of the shipping industry.”
Since the first use of CargoDocs in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year, Cargill and ESS said they have been working together to educate dry bulk operators, ship brokers and protection and indemnity clubs (P&I club) about how CargoDocs eB/Ls work in day-to-day operations, how they fit with a carrier’s P&I club cover and what is involved in adopting the solution.
The first shipment from South America involved soybeans shipped from the port of Rosario, Argentina to Spain. It was immediately followed by another identical shipment to France. Cargill said it has started work on using eB/Ls for bulk iron ore cargoes from Australia to China along with BHP Billiton and a number of end buyers and carriers. - Eric Johnson